Serj Tankian of System of A Down Readies New EP of SOAD Leftovers

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System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian spoke to Grammy.com about “Elasticity”, his upcoming solo EP of what he has previously described as “rock songs.” He said of the material he originally intended for the abandoned new SOAD album : “These were primarily songs that I wanted to do with SYSTEM. When we weren’t able to see eye to eye I just went ahead and finished them. They have more synth flavors than most SYSTEM songs do, more arpeggiated stuff like that, but they still have the heavy groove and also a lot of beautiful ballady stuff that is more like ‘Elect The Dead’ and some of my earlier solo stuff. It’s a really good EP.” It’s due later in 2020. Due later this year, “Elasticity”‘s title is a play on SOADs massive 2001 album “Toxicity”.

 

Serj explained to SPIN: “I think I’m gonna call it ‘Elasticity’ just because I wanted to do it with SYSTEM and it didn’t happen. For me, it’s not ‘Toxicity’ but it is ‘Toxicity’. [Laughs] That’s what I’m thinking of calling it. I haven’t finalized it, but that’s what I’m thinking of calling it.”

“Originally, I had these songs in mind for a System record if we were to end up doing a System record.

“But as we could not really see eye to eye on how to go forward with that, I decided to finish them off myself and release them as an EP.”

Asked why these songs remind him of the band, he said: “I always have random rock tracks done at different times and I sit on them. And then one day the right project or right idea for releasing them will come along.

 

“They all have piano or synthesizers, which is a little different than the four-person crew with System although we had some synths as well. It’s got stuff that’s really heavy, heavy and there’s a funny aspect and then there’s a song about my son. It kind of runs the gauntlet on diversity of thematic expression: political, non-political.”

He added: “I guess that’s always been me, all over the place. I think I’m gonna call it ‘Elasticity’ just because I wanted to do it with System and it didn’t happen. For me, it’s not ‘Toxicity’ but it is ‘Toxicity’.

“That’s what I’m thinking of calling it. I haven’t finalized it, but that’s what I’m thinking of calling it. We’ll probably put it out later this year.”

Meanwhile, System Of A Down drummer John Dolmayan has said that it’s “very unlikely” that the band will release a new album. The California outfit last released full-length records in 2005 with ‘Mesmerize’ and ‘Hypnotize’.